Unwilling to Surrender
by Angelkatt
Summary: Hogwarts must cope with a Gryffindor identity crisis and Harry must fight against everything to find who he truly is. C2: Don't worry. You'll like the new DADAT. I know I love him.^_^
1. It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Wor...

Night Silverose   
[ nightgate6@yahoo.com][1]1/1/2001  
[http://www.geocities.com/nightgate6][2]  
Rating: PG  
Distribution: Anywhere as long as you let me know the addy.  
Feedback: It's a fanfic writers paycheck.  
Disclaimer: If I was J.K, don't you think that I would make Hermione love Draco back? (lol) ps: stole title from 'Tale of Two Cities'  
Summary: It's the start of another school year and things aren't turning out that great for anyone. 

Unwilling To Surrender Chapter 1  
It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times 

*****

Harry Potter blew out the candles on his birthday cake, marking his best birthday ever. How did it earn this title you ask? For one, it was Harry's fifteenth birthday (hence the birthday part), second, all of his friends were celebrating it with him.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, you did a wonderful job on the cake." Hermione admired.  
  
"Thank you dear. Anything for Harry!" The older woman laughed.  
  
"Oh, _anything_ for _Harry_." Ron muttered softly. His brothers, Fred and George, hit him on the back.  
  
"Come on Ron. Remember his last birthday? He had to be on a rabbit food diet. We have to do something to compensate for that."  
  
"You're right. I know." He really did. He does get jealous of all the attention Harry gets, but he'd rather be poor and bored than go through what Harry has been through these couple of years. Nobody said anything, but Ron knew Harry was still shaken by the death of Cedric Diggory merely a few months ago.  
  
"Don' keep us waiting, 'arry!" Hagrid said excitedly. "Open yer presents!" Although only Harry, Ron and Hermione noticed, the big black dog next to Hagrid nodded in agreement.  
  
Because of his love of creatures great and small, Hagrid had really liked the big animal, although things might not have been the same if he knew the dog was really Sirius Black, the man he though had betrayed James and Lily Potter.  
  
Although Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia strongly disliked the Weasleys, they were all too glad when Harry asked to stay with them for the summer. The only condition was that neither Harry nor 'his kind' were to contact them at all. That worked perfectly for Harry. He happily stayed at the Burrow.  
  
The presents were stacked on the table and Harry almost cried at their thoughtfulness. He carefully opened them and noticed who gave what.   
  
Hagrid had thoughtfully given him an assortment of chocolates and sweets, Ginny had given him a book and when he got to Ron and Hermione's gift, he was quite puzzled.  
  
"Not that I don't appreciate it guys, but I really don't need a new pair of glasses..." He pickd up the delicate black frames.  
  
"They're NebulSpecs. Ron and I combined our money and got them for you. It's for seeing through deceptions. We thought you might like them." Hermione leaned in closer and whispered so only Harry could hear. "You should be careful where you put them though. I think they can see through your invisibility cloak."  
  
"Wow. Thank you! This must have cost a lot." Harry looked at his best friends.  
  
"Thank Ron. He thought of it." Hermione smiled.  
  
"Enought about you guys. Harry open _our_ present!" Fred shoved his present in Harry's hands.  
  
Harry took another moment to think about how good everything was now and wished it would always stay like this. Unfortunately for Harry, that rarely happens.  
  
*****  
  
Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George all hugged Molly Weasley before they boarded the Hogwarts Express.  
  
"Remember, stay out of trouble boys!" She waved to them as they all stepped onto platform 9 ¾. Fred and George both shared a look. They had put the thousand galleons Harry gave them to good use.  
  
They got on and immediately greeted the friends they hadn't seen for so long.  
  
"Hey, Neville!" Ron and Harry joined him.  
  
"Hi guys! How was your summer?"  
  
"Oh, it was great, but I can't wait to get back to school." Ron answered.  
  
"Yeah. Me neither, although I wish I didn't have some classes, like Potions." he sighed and the others nodded agreement. "By the way, have either of you heard anything about the new Defense teacher?"  
  
"Actually, not at all." Harry was surprised he hadn't heard any rumors from the other students yet.  
  
"Maybe because of so many incidents and the ratio of them wanting to kill you, Harry, Dumbledore dropped the course." Ron jokingly theorized.  
  
"You can't drop it, Ron." Hermione startled them. "It's required."  
  
"Hey Hermione." Ron had such a ridiculous grin on his face and tried to cover it up so fast that Harry just had to roll his eyes.   
  
They all sat down comfortably as the train slowly left the station. All was well until they heard a comotion coming from somewhere infront of them.  
  
"Give it back now!" Harry could hear an unfamiliar voice cry out. Up ahead, he could see Goyle and Crabbe laughing and a girl that Harry could tell was forcing herself not to punch them both in the face.  
  
"What's going on here?" Ron walked up to them and asked.  
  
"Those two goons just stole my sketchbook." her eyes shot them dagger looks.  
  
Harry pulled out his wand. "I'm warning you, if you don't want a repeat of what happened last time..."  
  
Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other and unhappily threw the book at them and left in a huff. The thin, raven haired girl picked it back up and turned to them.  
  
"Thank you..." she seemed to be in a trance when she looked into Harry's green eyes, but quickly recovered. "Um, I'm Mabel. Mabel Nightgate. I'm new to Hogwarts."  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville each took turns introducing themselves.  
  
"So, you're a first year? You'll love Hogwarts. Introduction to the magical world is amazing. You'll also make great friends, well, as long as you're not in Slytherin." Ron scrunched up his face at the thought.  
  
"Actually," Mabel answered, "I'm in fifth year."  
  
"Oh, are you a transfer student?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Well, no, I've never actually gone to a Wizardry school before." She explained uncomfortably. "I've practiced at home though." She successfully changed the subject. "You know, from what I've read, I want to be in Slytherin."   
  
"What?" Neville replied. "They breed evil wizards and witches! And they're all so...mean."  
  
"That's why. I say break the stereotype. I want to find out what make Slytherins doomed to that title."  
  
Hermione lifted a skeptical eyebrow, but Harry understood what she was saying. After all, he was almost put in Slytherin his first year and it would have been horrible if people pinned him as bad because of it.  
  
"Well, I should go. I'll see you guys around I guess." She walked away without waiting for a reply.  
  
"Rude much?" Hermione turned away and began to walk back to her own seat and they all waited anxiously for the arrival to school.  
  
*****   
  
"I wonder who the new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher is this year?" Harry was quite nervous for no DADA teacher had every stayed for more than a year since he's been here and two of the four had, like Ron said, indeed tried to kill him.  
  
"Well, we know it's not Snape, thankfully." Ron watched the loathing expression of the professor's face. "If he had gotten the job, you'd think he's be happier. I mean, he's been pinning for that position forever."  
  
Professor Dumbledore gave them the signal to quiet down and everyone prepared for the traditional welcoming. Unfortunately, although they didn't know it yet, it wasn't destined to come this year.  
  
"Students and staff, I want to welcome you all back for another year at Hogwarts. For all you new comers, you will soon become accustomed to our castle, rules and ways, and if not, you will be providing great entertainment for us old folks who had the same problem when we first arrived here." A few people smiled knowingly, thinking back to a time where they got lost and ended up where they were not suppose to be.   
  
"I would also like to welcome a new member to our staff, but unfortunately he is indisposed and the moment and will arrive later tomorrow."  
  
"He must be talking about the new Dark Arts teacher." Hermione whispered to Ron and Harry.  
  
"Now, normally, this is the time where all the new students are sorted into one of the four houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin. Sadly, due to circumstances above my control, there will be a slight change of plans." Almost all the brows of the students furrowed because of their confusion. Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a look, hoping that one of them knew what was going on.  
  
"I have done almost everything in my power to prevent this, but there are a few factors that have pushed me and the rest of the staff to a decision. One being an overflow in one of the houses. It seems that the old sorting hat is isn't doing his job quite right and not putting some people where they truly belong." Harry could almost see the sorting hat, which all students had put on at one time or another, shake with fury at Dumbledore's comment. If you only had one job all year, it must have been very insulting to be told you didn't do it right. "That in itself isn't much of a problem though, but another factor is the wing of the same house has been infected with Procinctu Beetles."  
  
"They're rare, fast reproducing bugs that generate hallucinations to people, making them hard to extinguish." Hermione quietly answered Ron and Harry's question before they even turned to ask.  
  
"Because of some ministry rule, we cannot just zap them off and must slowly use the traditional methods of exterminating them." Dumbledore continued. "This is why, to much dismay, one of our houses must dispense and join the remaining three." Quickly, shouts of protest came from all directions of the room.  
  
"Now, now, don't worry. Hopefully these problems will be sorted out in a few months and the old tradition of the four houses will once again give us pride," Professor McGonagall helped hush the unsettled crowd as Dumbledore carried on. "But for now, I must give my sincerest apologies to Gryffindor."  
  
*****  
  
Give you one guess which house Harry will be put in...*g*   
This is just sorta the intro. I _swear_ it gets more interesting. Next Chapter- our friends get re-sorted and we get to meet the new DADA teacher. Don't worry. You'll like him.

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	2. Gryffindor Identity Crisis

Night Silverose   
[ nightgate6@yahoo.com][1] Jan 31, 2001  
[http://www.geocities.com/nightgate6][2]  
Rating: PG  
Distribution: Anywhere as long as you let me know the addy.  
Feedback: It's a fanfic writers paycheck.  
Disclaimer: If I was J.K, don't you think that I would make Hermione love Draco back? (lol)  
Summary: The Gryffindors have a identity crisis and through the turmoil of that, the new DADA teacher arrives. Don't worry though...you'll like him. I know I love him! 

Unwilling To Surrender Chapter 2  
Gryffindor Identity Crisis

Although not unexpected, there was an explosion of uproar coming from the Gryffindor table.  
  
"They can't do this to us!" Ron shouted, although not really being heard because everyone was essentially saying the same thing.   
  
"What about the Quidditch teams!" Harry added to the noise. Some kids were also complaining about how it's their last year, too.  
  
Professor Dumbledore snapped his fingers and suddenly the noise stopped. Or more specifically, all that were at the Gryffindor table couldn't produce a sound.  
  
"I understand why you are all upset, but this is for the best until we fix the problem. All the Gryffindors are to be added to the sorting list along with the new arrivals."  
  
*****  
  
"GRANGER, HERMIONE!" She went up and was immediately put in Ravenclaw.  
  
"Figures." Ron smirked and then noticed Neville's worried face. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm going to be in Hufflepuff. I just know it! I though after the first year, I wouldn't have to worry about that anymore, but there's no way to escape it now. My grandma will be so disappointed." He looked like he was on the verge of tears.  
  
"Oh Neville, don't worry. You might not be put in Hufflepuff. Even if you were, that's okay. It's a fine house. You're grandma will be proud of you no matter what house you're in." Ron reassured.  
  
After a few other names, "LONGBOTTOM, NEVILLE!" was announced. To his surprise, he was also put in Ravenclaw.  
  
"POTTER, HARRY!" Harry sighed and slowly proceeded towards the chair. He reluctantly put the sorting hat on.  
  
'So we meet again, Potter.' The familiar voice in his head sounded. 'This'll be easy. I'll just go with my first choice.'  
  
'No! Make me a Ravenclaw. Please, I think I'll do well in Ravenclaw.' Harry begged.  
  
'YOU are one of the reasons the Professor thinks I'm not doing my job! I do believe you belong--'  
  
"SLYTHERIN!" The hat called out loudly. Almost everybody's face went into a state of shock. Gasps could be heard from the Slytherin table, but Harry refused to budge from that chair.  
  
'I'll settle for Hufflepuff. Really. I'm loyal, don't you think?'  
  
'Don't make this harder than it has to be, kid.' The next person was about to be called, but he didn't budge.  
  
'I'm not letting go until you get me out of Slytherin!' Harry put his hands on his head, securing the cap.  
  
'Now really. You're just embarrassing yourself. I very rarely have to do this, but--'  
  
"SLYTHERIN!" The sorting hat called out once again. Whispers could be heard all over the room.  
  
"What is Harry doing?" Neville asked Hermione.  
  
"I think he's trying to bargain with the sorting hat."  
  
"That's crazy. He can't do anything after it's made up it's mind. Oh look. Professor McGonagall has to get Hagrid to force Harry out of the chair." Neville watched as Hagrid, with little force on his part, lifted Harry from his spot.   
  
"Oh please, Hagrid! Don't make me go. You can't!"  
  
"Sorry 'arry. What's done is done. Might not be so bad." The big guy patted his back sympathetically.  
  
If they weren't still surprised, the other Slytherins would have been laughing at him, but whispers where still sounding.   
  
Hagrid placed him in an empty chair right across from Malfoy. Harry couldn't take the looks he was getting from him so he got up and walked to the other end of the table. That immediately made Hagrid alert, but Harry put up his hands as a sign of defeat and sat down in another chair.  
  
It just so happens that Mabel was sitting next to him.   
  
"I could see it. Slytherin. I knew you had it in you, Potter."  
  
*****  
  
"I repeat to all of you, this is only temporary until we figure things out." Professor Dumbledore gave Harry a sympathetic look. "I hope you will all get along in your houses. Remember, if you were a Gryffindor, you are and will still be a Gryffindor at heart."  
  
Somehow, those words didn't comfort Harry in the slightest. Dumbledore wasn't a Gryffindor sitting at the Slytherin table. Sure there were a few others who were cursed, in Harry's opinion, to share his fate, but his two best friends and him were houses apart.  
  
As soon as they were dismissed to go to their rooms, Ron and Hermione immediately ran over to Harry.  
  
"I can't believe you're in Slytherin! This puts my whole Hufflepuff thing in perspective." Ron said, although still unhappy about his own house. Even Fred and George were in Ravenclaw.  
  
"This is absolutely no fair. I'll have Malfoy in all of my classes."  
  
"Plus we're all split up. We'll never have a class with all three of us in it unless they have to change the schedule." Hermione grumbled.  
  
*****  
  
Thankfully, Harry shared a room with a fellow friend and Gryffindor, Seamus.  
  
"Can you believe it? Slytherin. Hmm...do you think this gives us and automatic license to make fun of strangers and get full marks in Potions?" Seamus joked as he dumped all of his belongings on his side of the room wherever he thought seemed fit.  
  
Harry, reluctant to let the reality of his position sink in, didn't unpack his things and simply laid on his bed, trying not to dread the coming days.  
  
*****  
  
To add to his list of misfortunes, it was an all Slytherin Potions first thing in the morning.  
  
"All right. I assume all of you have been studying your new books, so lets start of with a few questions to see what you've learned. Tell me what a foveo spell does." Severus looked around. "Who here would know the answer...Harry." Snape smirked at Harry's blank face.  
  
"Um..."  
  
"It's used to keep yourself warm while in a cold place." Harry could hear Mabel, who was sitting next to him, tell him. He quickly looked at Snape's face. Impossibly, he didn't seem to overhear.  
  
"It's used to keep warm?" He answered cautiously.  
  
"Correct." The professor grumbled. "Two points for Slytherin."  
  
"That's no fair. Any other student would have gotten five." Mabel told Harry once Snape was out of hearing range.  
  
The rest of class actually was tolerable to Harry, except the fact that Malfoy kept stealing glances at his table. Surprisingly, though, he hadn't made any insults directed to Harry yet.  
  
When class ended, however, Malfoy made his was over. Harry braced himself, but Malfoy walked right past him.  
  
"You're Mabel, right?" She nodded cautiously. "I'm Draco Malfoy." He introduced himself.  
  
Mabel studied him for a moment, then smiled. "Hello Draco. You're Lucius' heir if I'm not mistaken."  
  
"You know his father?" Harry interrupted.  
  
Mabel turned to him and answered, "Not personally. I've just heard some things."  
  
If Harry didn't know any better, Draco seemed a little embarrassed about Mabel knowing the Malfoy reputation. Harry thought he'd be gloating about it.  
  
"Why don't we continue this conversation in the hall. We won't find a good table for lunch." Mabel took her books and left, leaving the to rivals to reluctantly walk together.  
  
*****  
  
The three of them headed for lunch. Yes, all together.  
  
Hermione and Ron were already at a table and motioned for Harry to join them. Mabel noticed and headed towards their direction.   
  
"Do you mind if we join you?"Mabel asked. Hermione reluctantly nodded and Ron was giving Malfoy the most unusual look. He just ignored it. In fact, he didn't make eye contact or speak the entire time, except for the occasional question for Mabel.  
  
That is how rare sight of three former Gryffindors, three Slytherins, a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff, came to having lunch together.  
  
*****  
  
After lunch, Hermione pulled Harry away from the crowd.  
  
"Why are you hanging around Malfoy and _her_? Something about her bugs me..."  
  
"Mabel's really nice Hermione, and Malfoy just seems to follow us around...for some reason, I don't feel like leaving those two alone though."  
  
Hermione sighed. "Fine. What class do you have next?"  
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
  
"Me too. Just don't ditch me for your new Slytherin friend, you hear?"  
  
Harry smiled at her. "Never."  
  
*****  
  
They entered the classroom and found most of the people were already there. Harry guessed they all wanted a glimpse of the new teacher, who wasn't even in class yet.  
  
Just then, a thin, youngish looking man walked in. He looked around nervously but when his eyes fell on Harry, he smiled.  
  
Harry couldn't quite place it, but the new teacher looked strangely familiar. Maybe it was the black hair, or the twinkle in his eye, but Harry knew he'd seen this man before.  
  
"Hello class. I'm Professor Evans. I'm new at teaching, so bear with me, but I'm not new to this school so don't think you can try anything on me." A few people snorted skeptically. "Ah, I see we have some challengers. I await your attempts."  
  
Harry's mouth widened into a big grin. He knew why he recognized the man at the front of the class. The face was familiar for he had seen it numerous times in old pictures he had.  
  
"He's cute." Hermione leaned over and whispered to Harry.  
  
"It's Sirius." Harry whispered back to the smiling Hermione.  
  
"What's serious?"  
  
"That's Sirius."  
  
"Really? Sirius is cute." It took a minute for her to take in what she and Harry had just said, and what it meant. "What? That's Sirius? As in Black?" She looked back at their teacher. "Woah. He cleans up nice."She admired dreamily, then realized Harry was still there. (and giving her an incredulous look at that.) "Uh, I mean..."  
  
"For my sanity and yours, just don't say anything else." Harry put in front of him defensively. They both turned their attention back to their disguised friend.  
  
"Let's start by reviewing and seeing what you still remember..."  
  
*****  
  
The rest of class went quickly and Harry noticed Hermione wasn't the only girl swooning at Sirius. In fact, all of them were whispering and giggling to each other while they studied him.  
  
After class, Harry told Mabel and Malfoy (why he did that was beyond him) that he needed to stay behind and ask the professor something and that he'll meet them in the common room.  
  
"Sirius! What on EARTH are you doing here?" Harry said as soon as everyone was gone. "You're still wanted and you shouldn't be so close to all these people and--"  
  
"Harry, relax. There is no way I'm going to leave you here alone after what happened last year. This way I can keep a close eye on you at all times. Dumbledore already told the staff and made sure everyone keep their mouths shut."  
  
"You don't have to watch over me, you know." Harry smiled at his godfather's overprotectiveness.  
  
"I've missed twelve years of watching over you. I think I need to do some catching up."   
  
"So Sirius, why did you choose to be Professor 'Evans'?" Hermione inquired.  
  
Sirius smiled sadly and got a faraway look on his face. "It was Lily's maiden name. We always teased her about becoming a professor one day because she was such a goody goody and so smart...she'd laugh if she knew _I_ was teaching anybody _anything._" He tried to forget the sad memories and lightened up to his old self. "Besides, it's so much less stupid than 'Professor White' or something."  
  
Harry bursted out laughing. "You weren't seriously thinking of using 'White', were you?"  
  
"I--noooo...." Sirius looked away, slightly pink in the cheeks.  
  
"You were, weren't you! That's like the worst alias for 'Black' in the world." Hermione joined in the laughter.  
  
"Oh shut up you two. I--I had...limited time to work with..."  
  
*****  
  
After a few days, they kind have got used to their peculiar situation. Hermione, Ron and Harry hung out together as much as they could, and in classes, Draco sat wherever Mabel sat, which was with Harry.  
  
Harry couldn't stand it anymore. He found Draco in his room and asked him. "Why are you hanging around us? Are you following me or something?"  
  
"Hey! How do I know _you're_ not following _me_?"  
  
"Why aren't you with your thugs Crabbe and Goyle then?"  
  
"Because I'd like to think I moved up on the chain."  
  
"To me?" Harry looked at him skeptically and with surprise.   
  
Draco rolled his eyes and sighed. "No you idiot! Don't flatter yourself." He cleared his throat. "To Mabel."  
  
"Ah. you have a thing for Mabel." Harry understood. "You must think you have a chance if you resort to eating lunch with your worst enemy, you know."  
  
"I'm Draco Malfoy, Potter." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I don't _think_ I have a chance. I _know_. And it's not what you think. I've heard, from a legitimate source, that she's an interesting witch and worth my time. If I have to hang around with mudbloods and such to let her get to know me, I have no problem doing that." He shrugged.  
  
"Well, I guess I can tolerate you for a little while..."  
  
"Mutual, Potter."  
  
*****  
  
A.N: Don't worry gems, I'm not a Draco/othercharacterthatisn'tHermione writer and I actually DO have a plan for all of this. I'm also a Sirius fan *starry eyed* so I had to find a high volume position for him.

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